Monthly Archives: February 2012

Exceptional films like “The Guard”, “Margin Call”, “The Whistleblower” and “Ides of March” are not among the pictures on the 2011 list. In a myriad of fine films, a few reach you and seem to stay in your head or heart for awhile. The Steve McQueen film, “Shamless” tried to appeal to other parts of my anatomy, but I couldn’t get past the poor film making. A major limitation of any film list is that we can’t see them all. Had I seen films earlier, such as “In A Better World”, the 2010 winner in the foreign film category, it would have certainly been included in last year’s list. The following ten films, in some way, caught my attention, generated discussion or exceeded my expectations in 2011.

#10: A very late release and the risk of treating a sensitive subject in typical Hollywood fashion bred skepticism for “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.” However, the plot focused on the human tragedy of 9/11 and a young boy, Oskar Schell, trying to keep his father’s memory alive by following the path of a key, found in dad’s belongings. Adeptly played by Thomas Horn, Oskar’s character soon reveals to us that he may suffer from Asperger’s Syndrome, creating difficulties with his social finesse. Viola Davis also delivers a terrific performance. Though it is definitely a “three-hanky” movie, the writing and acting is layered and real.

#10 Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close

#9: A small market film, “Sunflower and the Secret Fan”is my sleeper of the year. A compelling story of how two girls, oppressed by cultural norms toward women, supported

#9 "Sunflower and the Secret Fan"

each other throughout their lives with a secret code. Director Wayne Wang delivers heartwarming realism and exceptional cinematography.

#8 "The Artist"

#8: The release of a B&W, silent film in 2011 seems, metaphorically to be an antonym for the chaotic social networking. Blogging, tweeting of our “YouTube world. “The Artist” succeeds in keeping you focused with two tremendous performances, a simple, very believable story revealed with the help of a few key spoken words and a dog. Stop texting and pay attention! This film makes us understand why we still love B&W.

#7: Happy to see Martin Scoresese’s “Hugo” in 3D, but would have enjoyed the story and cinematography without it. The various “gears” depicted in the film were enough to keep me intrigued. Amidst an uplifting story of self-actualization is a disabled station guard, hilariously portrayed by Sasha Baron Cohen, in search of love and an old man’s strategy to win the affection of the spinster. A classic film experience and another superb effort by one of the best all-time directors.

#7 "Hugo"

#6: Admitting a bias for films that are set in the sixties and deal with the issues of that time, I enjoyed “The Help”as much as any film in 2011. That being said, I would not have had interest in a film about the conditions imposed on house maids in the South had my wife not just read and recommended Kathryn Stockett’s book. Among its many qualities, this film is a “revenge” movie with the violence replaced by one pie. The performances will certainly be recognized at the Oscars. Billy Crystal will mention the pie.

#6 "The Help"

#5: Innocent child’s play is abruptly cut short by a knock on the door, foreshadowing drastic changes in the lives of 13,000 Jews in France. Through the film, “Sarah’s Key”,the tragic story of the Vel’d’Hiv Roundup in 1942 is exposed through research of a present day journalist, Kristen Scott-Thomas, who connects the pieces through the eyes of a young girl, Sarah Starzynski, played by young actress, Melusine Mayance in clearly one of the most compelling performances of the year.

#5 "Sarah's Key"

#4: I like Alexander Payne films. They are accessible for most to watch, but exonerate the typical Hollywood-style with real characters, coping and sometimes not, with the complications of life. Dealing with tragic family circumstances that only get compounded, “The Descendants” focuses on a father-daughter relationship, skillfully played by George Clooney and Shailene Woodley, earning my nomination for best supporting actress.

#4 "The Descendants"

#3: Mostly from the Oscar “buzz” surrounding the Best Foreign Film category, I placed “A Separation”from Iran on my must-see list. I was mesmerized by the end and, although certainly intrigued by the film, focused too much on the cultural issues. Later, Karen convinced me that, cultural aspects aside, this was a film about people and relationships that can happen anywhere. In this film, the status of women in Iran was a

#3 "A Separation"

driving force, but the story could have been translated to a different culture. Great film on a level with“The Lives of Others.”

#2: Baseball setting aside, consideration in naming “Moneyball”my #1 film came from the timeless American story; someone burdened with difficult circumstances that ultimately inspire creativity and extraordinary success. The film, that book author Michael Lewis said could never be made, does an admirable job of defining Billy Beane’s past, his motivation (along with lack of money) to think out of the box. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill deliver performances worthy of recognition. This is the “Rocky” of 2011.

#2 "Moneyball"

#1: Woody Allen has certainly seen resurgence in his career after a brief lull. Recent films like “Matchpoint”, “Vicky Christina Barcelona” and “Whatever Works” have put him, already a legend, among the best writers and directors of the past decade. The concept alone for “Midnight in Paris”deserves consideration for an Oscar nomination; bored assembly-line screenwriter, painfully agonizing over his first novel, in Paris surrounded by egotistical, arrogant, shallow people (Woody’s favorite theme), fantacizing about a past romantic lifestyle. The scenes of Paris were reminiscent of our rainy day walks last Spring. The ensemble cast of Kathy Bates ( Gertrude Stein), Marion Cotillaid, Adrian Brody (Salvador Dali), Rachel McAdams, Carla Bruni, Michael Sheen and Wilson deliver performances that only Woody can arouse. Some understanding of his style enables one to distinguish the improvisation that makes his films so real. Great writing, acting and the nourishment of creative interpretation is a formula for success; one that strips the confines of the character and lets actors act.

Mr. Allen, well into his seventies, can still write modern romantic comedy and the top actors in the world line up to work with him. I anxiously await his next film.

Our annual New Year’s tradition in Napa Valley began by responding to a “Living Social” offer for a bed and breakfast/spa package in Calistoga, a small town in the north valley that served as a regular get-away decades ago. Friends and fellow “foodies”, Rosemary and David, carefully selected some restaurants of recent note and we were off for a mini “fork and cork” experience that began with lunch at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen.

Chef Cindy Pawlcyn, beginning 25 years ago with the infamous Mustard’s Grill on Highway 29, has developed three restaurants in the Napa Valley, including Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, located in a quaint historic building along the railroad tracks, east of St. Helena. The charming old supper club atmosphere is enhanced by a very unique menu that includes such dished as the “Chinatown Duck Burger withhouse made shiitake mushroom ketchup and French fries” and “Adult GrilledCheese, mostly vegetarian NO CRYBABIES! and polenta fries”. They feature a very diverse choice of fine wines by the glass and bottle, micro brews like “Deathand Taxes” Black Lager from Moonlight Brewing and creative cocktails such as their “Thai-gin-tini”. What a wonderful start to an entire weekend of gourmet experiences.

The town of Calistoga is historically known for its spas that feature naturally hot mineral and volcanic ash baths. Over the past decades, restaurants, B&B inns, elegant spa hotels and boutique wineries have become mainstays of the local landscape. Our first wine tasting stop, the Vincent Arroyo Winery, fits the local persona with wines as unpretentious as they are bold and supple.

Entering the barn at Vincent Arroyo Winery, after an official greeting by black lab, JJ and chocolate lab, Bodega, their tails wagging, you are reminded that this is a small working winery and, amid a relaxed environment are friendly staff that are very serious about their wine. We tasted several current releases, beginning with the 2010 Vincent Arroyo Chardonnay ($24), two-thirds fermented in stainless steel tanks and the rest in French oak barrels resulting in a very crisp flavors with hints of vanilla.

JJ - Vincent Arroyo greeter

Tempranillo has become a very trendy varietal and seems to be expanding in very diverse regions throughout the state. Of Spanish origin, the grape typically generates nice, heavy fruit

Vincent Arroyo Tempranillo 2009

bouquet and flavors and, like Cabernet Sauvignon, enjoys the company of oak. The 2009 Vincent Arroyo Tempranillo ($28) delivers all the features of a dry Cabernet, with ripening fruit flavors at a relatively moderate price. Moving to blends of French descent, the 2008 Vincent Arroyo “Nameless” ($30)is a left-bank Bordeaux blend of merlot (62%) and cabernet

Bodega - unofficial host

sauvignon (38%) that is well-balanced, semi-tart and great to pair with food.

Another varietal expanding throughout California wine regions is petite sirah, a dark inky-colored grape with rich texture and very soft, accessible flavors. Of the three produced, we enjoyed the 2009 Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah Rattlesnake Acres, from a vineyard at the winery entrance. Exhibiting all the traditional qualities of the varietal, the flavors were very forward with a nice lingering finish. The 2008 Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah “Winemaker’s

Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah "Rattlesnake Acres" Vineyard

Reserve” ($50) aged three years, is still young, but has a structure that will continue to mature.

The flagship wine of our day was the 2009 Vincent Arroyo “Entrada” ($65), an unusual blend of syrah, cabernet sauvignon and petite sirah with bold flavors and near perfect balance that is drinking well now, but will continue to develop structurally with time.

For our first dinner, Rosemary had reserved a table at the Michelin-starred SolBar, on the Solage Spa grounds, just east of town. We are pleased that she did. Upon entering SolBar, one is immediately immersed in an understated elegance that is inviting for fine food and wine. It is a modern, sleek, but homey room where everything seems to work the way it should. Carrying a bottle of Kosta BrownePinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard 2009, we were definitely in the mood to sit, relax, select and enjoy. One look at my wine and our young female waiter suggested that we decant it right away. That’s apparently what happens at a Michelin-starred restaurant. The pinot noir opened up and paired perfectly with the wild,sustainable sea bass as well as the beef confit salad. The SolBar experience was my best in recent memory.

SolBar restaurant

Laura Zahtila Swanton’s story is a somewhat familiar one, one that has a happy ending. Working at Cisco Systems in Silicon Valley, she purchased the property of her estate vineyard and winery, relied on her technological skills and set out to produce limited-quantity boutique wines along the Silverado Trail in the Napa Valley. Coming upon her property, with no prior knowledge of her wines, we decided to make the short trek to a quaint tasting shack only to be pleasantly surprised by many of her recent releases.

Laura Zahtila "Odone Vineyard" Zinfandel 2005

We began with a comparative tasting between the 2004 and 2005 vintages of the Laura Zahtila Vineyards Zinfandel “Odone Vineyard” ($40), revealing vast differences in flavor and structure. The 2004 was well structured, soft and a bit tannic while the 2005 was much more fruit forward with nice vanilla and cinnamon hints. Both wines need decanting for a few hours. Decanting is also recommended for the Laura Zahtila Vineyards Zinfandel “Oat Hill

Laura Zahtila "Oat Hill" Zinfandel 2008

Vineyard” 2007 ($45), much more jammy with plum and blackberry.

This is the Napa Valley. While winemakers are experiencing with different varietals and terrior, cabernet sauvignon is still king. As we were tasting the Laura ZahtilaCabernet Sauvignon “Barlow Vineyard” 2007($50), a nicely structured wine aged in 40% new French oak, our hostess opened a library bottle of Laura Zahtila CabernetSauvignon “Beckstoffer and Georges III Vineyards” 2002 ($60) from two famed valley vineyards. This wine expressed a very unique bouquet and an earthiness indicative of the fine wines produced from these Rutherford vineyards

Our final carefully selected culinary destination was “Farmstead”, the gourmet, comfort-food restaurant by Long Meadow Farms, a 650-acre ranch above the valley that produces grass fed beef, eggs, heirloom fruit and vegetables, olive oil, all in a sustainable, organic and responsible way. Having supplied top American chefs with fresh products, they developed “Farmstead”, south of St. Helena to showcase their mission of healthy, responsible food that tastes great. Dishes like “Brick-cookedchicken with savory spinach with rancho gordo beans and salsa verde” and “Salad of kalcinato kale with chile pequin, lemon and toasted

Farmstead Restaurant in St. Helena

grana cheese” are rare recipes that are not duplicated anywhere else.

Our final tasting was at Summers Estate Wines, a small boutique winery, north of Calistoga, producing 8-9,000 multi-varietal cases per year, mostly from their 28-acre estate vineyards. My first contact with Summers wines was a glass of their “La Nude” Unoaked Chardonnay 2008, recommended as being crisp, but with softer flavors. The Summers Estate 2008 Reserve Chardonnay ($22), dissimilar from others we had recently tasted, was aged for 10 months in French oak, infusing a rich vanilla essence with nice orchard fruit flavors.

Among other fine attributes, Calistoga apparently has good “terrior” for the rare, once abundant Charbono grape that suffered from an identity crisis in its early California years. Story

Summers Estate Wines Charbono 2009

has it that Italian immigrants brought the grape here during the Gold Rush, thinking it was barbera. Although widely grown throughout the Napa Valley in those early years, Summers reports that their 80-acres are the only Charbono vines left on the planet. The Summers Estate Charbono, Villa AndriannaVineyard 2008 ($28), aside from deep ruby color, has rich berry and spice flavors that pairs well with pasta and tomato-based sauces.

Zinfandel is a varietal that generally thrives on mature vines that have adapted, over the years, to their soil conditions. The Summers Estate Zinfandel “Four Acre Zin”($34) is one of those wines, made from 40-50 year old vines, creating a wine that effectively balances the sumptuous flavors of strawberry jam and the spiciness of cracked pepper. Our last wine, the Summers Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon($48) expressed multi-layered flavors and nice texture. Unlike the Charbono and jammy Zinfandel, this wine must compete with the multitude of other Cabernets that have made the Napa valley famous.

Synonymous with renowned names like Mondavi, Stag’s Leap and Spottswode, the Napa Valley has also become, over the past 30 years, a region that can still be accessible to small production, boutique winemakers who rarely get the ratings and major press, but nonetheless are serious and talented in their craft. These and other north valley wineries are worth exploring, using Calistoga as a home base, whether in a local B&B such as the Calistoga Wine Way Inn or the Mount View Hotelon Lincoln Avenue. Memorable food, good

Calistoga's "The Wine Way Inn"

wine, spa treatments and other outdoor activities are at your fingertips in the north Napa Valley.